Category:Adult Cinemas in Allentown, Pennsylvania

An adult cinema was a cinema which showed predominantly adult-themed, pornographic films. They were a phenomenon that were the result of several factors, the 1968 MPAA Film Ratings which provided for X-Rated films for adult only. It was also for unrated foreign films that were formerly called "Art Films".

Adult porno theaters were also caused by the advent of television in the 1950s, which caused many theatergoers of earlier times to stay home, with many cinemas closing due to lack of attendance. Independent theater owners, looking to turn a profit, first began began to offer "Art Films", which were primarily unrated films from Europe. These films were not shown in major, commercial theater chains and also were not shown on television. They drew audiences into the theaters who enjoyed the genre. During the 1960s, more and more of these films simply were sex films that many considered to be pornographic, and after 1968, many were rated as "X" by the MPAA. In 1972, media advertising was banned for theaters showing X-Rated or unrated films.

Adult theaters themselves were a victim of the introduction of home video, which offered pornographic films for home viewing. The Towne and Rialto closed in the late 1970s. The Capri on Hamilton Street was closed in 1985 as a mainline theater. It was purchased and reopened in July 1986 as a porno cinema, however the City ordered it closed about a month later, citing it as a public nuisance. It closed for good in October. The Jeanette closed in 1992. The genre essentially died out in the 1990s.

• Towne Theater (1963-1978)
• Jeanette Theater (1963-1992)
• Rialto Theater (1971-1979)
• Capri Theater (1986)